Golf club head or other ball striking device having impact-influencing body features

Abstract

A ball striking device, such as a golf club head, has a face with a striking surface configured for striking a ball, a channel extending across a portion of the sole, wherein the channel is recessed from adjacent surfaces of the sole and/or a void defined on the sole of the body. The channel has width defined in a front to rear direction and a depth of recession from the adjacent surfaces of the sole at a vertical plane passing through the face center, wherein a ratio of the width to the depth is approximately 3.5:1 to 4.5:1.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A golf club head comprising:
 a face having a striking surface configured for striking a ball and a face center; 
 a body connected to the face and extending rearwardly from the face, the body having a crown, a sole, a heel, and a toe; 
 an elongated channel extending across a portion of the sole between a first end located proximate the heel and a second end located proximate the toe, wherein the channel is recessed from adjacent surfaces of the sole; and 
 a void defined on the sole of the body, rearward of the channel, wherein the body comprises a first leg and a second leg extending rearwardly from a base portion of the body, with the void being defined between the first and second legs, 
 wherein the channel has a variable maximum width and a variable maximum depth of recession along a length of the channel, the variable maximum width defined in a front to rear direction and the variable maximum depth of recession defined from the adjacent surfaces of the sole at a vertical plane passing through the face center, wherein a ratio of the width to the depth is approximately 3.5:1 to 4.5:1, 
 wherein the channel comprises a center portion extending toward the heel and the toe from the vertical plane passing through the face center, a heel portion extending from a heel end of the center portion toward the heel, and a toe portion extending from a toe end of the center portion toward the toe, wherein the channel has a boundary that is defined by a front edge and a rear edge the extend between the first end and the second end of the channel, and the front edge and the rear edge at the heel portion and the toe portion are angled away from each other such that the channel width at the heel and toe portion gradually increase toward the heel and the toe respectively, and further wherein the depth of heel portion and the toe portion of the channel increase from the center portion toward the heel and the toe, respectively. 
 
     
     
       2. The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the width has no more than +/−10% variance over the center portion. 
     
     
       3. The golf club head of  claim 2 , wherein the width of the channel is greater at the heel portion and the toe portion than at the center portion. 
     
     
       4. The golf club head of  claim 2 , wherein both the depth and the width of the channel have no more than +/−10% variance over the center portion. 
     
     
       5. The golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the depth has no more than +/−10% variance over the center portion. 
     
     
       6. The golf club head of  claim 5 , wherein the depth of the channel is greater at the heel portion and the toe portion than at the center portion. 
     
     
       7. A golf club head comprising:
 a face having a striking surface configured for striking a ball and a face center; 
 a body connected to the face and extending rearwardly from the face, the body having a crown, a sole, a heel, and a toe; 
 an elongated channel extending across a portion of the sole between a first end located proximate the heel and a second end located proximate the toe, wherein the channel is recessed from adjacent surfaces of the sole; and 
 a void defined on the sole of the body, rearward of the channel, wherein the body comprises a first leg and a second leg extending rearwardly from a base portion of the body, with the void being defined between the first and second legs, 
 wherein the channel has a variable width and a variable depth of recession along a length of the channel, the variable width defined in a front to rear direction and the variable depth of recession defined from the adjacent surfaces of the sole and the channel further having a wall thickness at a vertical plane passing through the face center, wherein a ratio of the width to the wall thickness is approximately 8:1 to 10:1, 
 wherein the channel comprises a center portion extending toward the heel and the toe from the vertical plane passing through the face center, a heel portion extending from a heel end of the center portion toward the heel, and a toe portion extending from a toe end of the center portion toward the toe, wherein the channel has a boundary that is defined by a front edge and a rear edge the extend between the first end and the second end of the channel, and the front edge and the rear edge at the heel portion and the toe portion are angled away from each other such that the channel width at the heel and toe portion gradually increase toward the heel and the toe respectively, and further wherein the depth of heel portion and the toe portion of the channel increase from the center portion toward the heel and the toe, respectively. 
 
     
     
       8. The golf club head of  claim 7 , wherein the width has no more than +/−10% variance over the center portion. 
     
     
       9. The golf club head of  claim 8 , wherein the width of the channel is greater at the heel portion and the toe portion than at the center portion. 
     
     
       10. The golf club head of  claim 8 , wherein both the width and the wall thickness of the channel have no more than +/−10% variance over the center portion. 
     
     
       11. The golf club head of  claim 7 , wherein the wall thickness has no more than +/−10% variance over the center portion. 
     
     
       12. The golf club head of  claim 11 , wherein the wall thickness of the channel is greater in the center portion than in at least one of the heel portion and the toe portion. 
     
     
       13. A golf club head comprising:
 a face having a striking surface configured for striking a ball and a face center; 
 a body connected to the face and extending rearwardly from the face, the body having a crown, a sole, a heel, and a toe; 
 an elongated channel extending across a portion of the sole between a first end located proximate the heel and a second end located proximate the toe, wherein the channel is recessed from adjacent surfaces of the sole; and 
 a void defined on the sole of the body, rearward of the channel, wherein the body comprises a first leg and a second leg extending rearwardly from a base portion of the body, with the void being defined between the first and second legs, 
 wherein the channel has a variable width and a variable depth of recession along a length of the channel, the variable width defined in a front to rear direction and the variable depth of recession defined from the adjacent surfaces of the sole and the channel further having a wall thickness at a vertical plane passing through the face center, wherein a ratio of the depth to the wall thickness is approximately 2:1 to 2.5:1, 
 wherein the channel comprises a center portion extending toward the heel and the toe from the vertical plane passing through the face center, a heel portion extending from a heel end of the center portion toward the heel, and a toe portion extending from a toe end of the center portion toward the toe, wherein the channel has a boundary that is defined by a front edge and a rear edge the extend between the first end and the second end of the channel, and the front edge and the rear edge at the heel portion and the toe portion are angled away from each other such that the channel width at the heel and toe portion gradually increase toward the heel and the toe respectively, and further wherein the depth of heel portion and the toe portion of the channel increase from the center portion toward the heel and the toe, respectively. 
 
     
     
       14. The golf club head of  claim 13 , wherein the depth has no more than +/−10% variance over the center portion. 
     
     
       15. The golf club head of  claim 14 , wherein the depth of the channel is greater at the heel portion and the toe portion than at the center portion. 
     
     
       16. The golf club head of  claim 15 , wherein both the depth and the wall thickness of the channel have no more than +/−10% variance over the center portion. 
     
     
       17. The golf club head of  claim 13 , wherein the wall thickness has no more than +/−10% variance over the center portion. 
     
     
       18. The golf club head of  claim 17 , wherein the wall thickness of the channel is greater in the center portion than in at least one of the heel portion and the toe portion.